Bellator MMA have cut two former title holders from their roster.
The company has parted ways with former 185 pound champion Brandon Halsey and former 205 pound champion Emanuel Newton.
Halsey had a tumultuous run in Bellator MMA. He captured the middleweight title by choking out Allexander Shlemenko at Bellator 126, but would be stripped of the title after missing weight for his first defense against UFC veteran Kendall Grove at Bellator 137. Halsey would get a shot to reclaim the title he was stripped of at Bellator 144, but he was finished by Rafael Carvalho with a kick to the midsection. Halsey’s final appearance for the promotion would be a submission loss to UFC veteran John Salter at Bellator 156.
Newton became famous in the MMA world for his spinning back fist knockout of King Mo at Bellator 90. He'd would go onto defeat King Mo a second time at Bellator 106 to win the light heavyweight title. Newton would then defend the championship twice times before losing it to Liam McGeary at Bellator 134. Newton would never get another win in the promotion he once called home, as he would suffer subsequent losses to Phil Davis and Linton Vassell. Newton has been fighting outside of Bellator MMA before getting his release, with his lone win coming over fellow Bellator MMA veteran Matt Baker at a Z Promotions MMA event.
Neither Bellator MMA, Emanuel Newton or Brandon Halsey has issued any kind of statement since the news broke of their releases.
